


House of Kim

by seokcity



Category: Mamamoo, Red Velvet (K-pop Band), SEVENTEEN (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bangtan Boys | BTS A/B/O, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fanfiction, Gen, Mentioned Mamamoo Ensemble, Mentioned Red Velvet Ensemble, Mentioned SEVENTEEN Ensemble, Murder, Murder Mystery, multi-fandom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28979988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seokcity/pseuds/seokcity
Summary: The cause of Kim Namjoon's death was murder, not food poisoning.As they delve deeper into the case, Inspector Jung Hoseok and Chief Constable Jung Wheein notice things amiss the suspicious folk of the dead man.There is mischief afoot in the House of Kim and it is up to the Jung siblings to separate milk from water as they get entangled in the web of lies spun by a sinister being who will stop at nothing to achieve their end.Who did it? That's the question everyone's going to ask.| a multi-fandom kpop fanfiction
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kim Namjoon | RM, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. When the wind blows the wrong way

**Author's Note:**

> Main Characters + Ages:
> 
> • Kim Namjoon: 48-49 years  
> • Bae Joohyun: 29-30 years  
> • Kim Seokjin: 28-29 years  
> • Jung Hoseok: 27-28 years  
> • Chwe Hansol: 27-28 years  
> • Kim Taehyung: 26-27 years  
> • Park Jimin: 26-27 years  
> • Jung Wheein: 25-26 years  
> • Kim Yerim: 25-26 years  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kim family have tea.

_**[PLAYLIST](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5GWTuglQVJXvV6GKMbrByi?si=t_vdNRmaQniEFSitXPM1ig) ** _

•

**KIM NAMJOON** sipped his British tea noiselessly in the library, as his eyes skimmed through the contents of the tender he was supposed to give the sign of approval. Seated in his prized Victorian chair - a family heirloom - he gave an appreciative nod to the man on the Anna Casa couch, sitting directly across him, whose visibly nervous form relaxed a little. 

The woman sitting next to the previously tensed man, squeezed his palm as a sign of comfort.

"Hansol, these speculations seem quite realistic and the profits are pretty impressive, too. I suppose that you could let your father know that we have a deal," Namjoon affirmed, clearing all the creases on Hansol's forehead.

The woman next to him gave him a bright smile, which went unnoticed as a soft voice with a seductive note ushered into the conversation. 

"Congratulations," tittered the woman seated next to Namjoon in an equally posh chair, while said man went back to revising the document in his hand. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Kim," Hansol answered, the haste in his response obvious. 

"You can just address me as Joohyun, Hansol dear. After all, we are soon to become family, aren't we?" 

"Y-Yes, of course," stammered Hansol.

A ' _tchah_ ' from beside him grabbed everyone's attention, as the woman who had earlier looked upon Hansol with such endearing eyes, picked up a cookie from a silver tray, and bit on it with as much venom as she could ooze. 

"Why the irritation, Yerim?" Namjoon queried, his sharp yet cool gaze managing to still Yerim's actions.

"Nothing really, Father. I just had an unpleasant memory," murmured Yerim, nibbling on the cookie like a tamed mouse. 

"Then you should learn to control to your reactions. It doesn't set a very suitable impression of yours to your fiancé; does it now, Hansol?" 

Yerim's fiancé replied with a clumsy nod as he bent forward to help himself to some scones. Joohyun gave a tinkling laugh. 

"Oh, come now, Namjoon honey. You mustn't be so hard on her. After all, little Yerim is still learning, isn't she?" 

The condescension, despite being masked by saccharine notes like a perfume's odour would a cigarette's fragrance, managed to reach its mark.

"It seems that you've forgotten that _little_ Yerim is not even five years younger than you, Joohyun," seethed Yerim. 

Sniffing the putrid waft of a brewing family fight, Hansol got up. 

"Thank you for inviting me to tea, Mr. Kim. I shall take your leave now - there are some matters at hand that need attendance." 

"Travel safely, Hansol. It was predicted that the weather won't be as pleasant today - storms are expected. A traffic-jam wouldn't suit you well now, would it?" 

Hansol gave a tiny jerk of his head to indicate that Namjoon's warning was noted. 

"Remember our date, Yerim," Hansol reminded and left the library after glancing over his shoulder and quickly tilting back to the front.

Namjoon put down the tender and took Yerim into scrutiny.

"How do these dates go? I hope that he doesn't have to suffer your ill temper, or your unsuitable eating habits." 

"Don't worry about them, Father. We exchange conversation and drink coffee."

"Just coffee? Is it because of your peanut, lactose, gluten and other allergies?" Joohyun asked, the lack of concern and abundance of malicious thinly veiled in her words.

"And so what if it is?" Yerim snapped, her eyes meeting Joohyun's cold ones with a sharp gaze. 

"Control your temper around her, Yerim; she is your mother," Namjoon warned. "Surely, this isn't something taught in your etiquette classes?" 

"My mother is _dead_ ," Yerim whispered.

"Kim Yerim, this is going too far. Let's end this here, _understood_?" 

Yerim did not reply and was still shaking with fury. 

"Understood?" Namjoon's icy voice had the desired effect - Yerim subdued with a meek nod. 

"I should leave now and let you have the famed 'father-daughter' talk," Joohyun spoke and picked up a Turkish Delight before getting up.

"And where are _you_ off to, darling?" Namjoon queried. 

"I shall have to write a complaint letter. Some of those hair products I use contain too many chemicals - might ruin my hair, for all you know," Joohyun sniffed, delicately touching her black locks as she bent forward to give Namjoon a kiss. "I will probably have to step out to deliver this - some of these consumer services are voraciously inefficient."

"I see. Be back soon, then," Namjoon smiled and bestowed another kiss on his wife. 

Irene strutted out of the room, without forgetting her occasional swaying of the hips. 

With a satisfied smirk of the rear side of the gorgeous woman, the senior-most Kim turned back to find the youngest Kim positively writhing in absolute disgust. 

"What do you see in her, Father? All I see is a gold-digger!" 

"None of that nonsense now, Yerim. You shouldn't express your opinion on matters that don't concern you." 

"But it does concern me, Father. That - that woman is your replacement for Mother. And I know that you need to move on from her but have you ever considered the fact that your new wife is nearly the same age as your daughter? And the sole reason she married you? Seokjin's already told me how much you let her spend -" 

"Why was Seokjin talking to you in the first place?" 

"- and at the rate that spendthrift is going, you can be assured that within a few months, Kim Enterprises will be on the rocks!"

Yerim fumed, her hair a little disheveled from the massive amount of shaking she had done in her outburst. 

A faint rustle tickled her ears but she dismissed it as the turning of pages caused by a passing breeze - the windows were open.

"And again, this does not concern you. You won't be living in this house anymore, so don't meddle in things like my marriage and my firm. How I run the firm and how much money ought to be drawn out from its assets is up to me to decide, not you," Namjoon thundered.

Instead of humbling his daughter, he succeeded in breaking her already fragile heart. 

Then again, it wasn't the first time he had done so. 

"Don't I, at least, have a say in this? I am a Kim, too," Yerim whispered, desolation and desperation clouding over her face. 

"You aren't a man, so naturally you don't have a say in this. Now, if I had a son - "

"You have a son," snapped Yerim. "You have a son - a son who is a junior partner in the firm."

"Ah, you mean Taehyung, that faggot." 

Yerim shuddered at the mention of the sexual slur. 

"It is unfortunate that he's a junior partner and I can't cut him out without a reasonable excuse - that's against the law. But that does not matter. He's no son of mine. I will have left my company in good hands - Seokjin isn't a woman or a homosexual and a capable man. You needn't worry your pretty little head about the company, Yerim."

Struggling to keep her voice steady, Yerim spoke in a choked voice: "Is this why I cannot work in the firm - because I am a woman?" 

Namjoon didn't answer and the only answer his daughter received was a hard, cold gaze. 

"Please Father, let me prove my capabilities. I have so many wonderful ideas for the future - my perspective can be a fresh addition! I have done so much research ever since I completed my business major and -" 

"Regardless of your major and research, my decision remains final. I'm sorry," Namjoon concluded, although 'sorry' was the last thing he was. 

Tears pricked Yerim's doe eyes and she stood up. 

"You said that one shouldn't give up on their dreams. Then, why are you denying me mine? Just because I am woman?"

"That was for a speech in a charity centre and you know that. Besides, every chairman knows that any firm is bound to lose its touch once a girl steps into its threshold." 

Yerim stood motionless, rooted to the ground. The last time she could ask for something from her father and he denied it to her. After a few weeks, she would no longer be a Kim. Dreams of helping her father and watching the company grow shattered in that instant and even the tiniest glimmer of hope were stepped on, like one would step on cigarette ends to extinguish then of their final glint.

A soft cough barely reached her ears and the voice of her father's "enter" sounded like a badly-tuned radio. 

The manservant, Park Jimin, made his way into the library, a fresh plate of biscuits and a tea set balanced carefully in the silver tray he held. He started setting them on the table, while the tinkling of china managed to waken Yerim from her reverie. 

"You came a tad too late, my man. Nearly everyone have left but I suppose I can enjoy my cup of tea alone, eh, Yeri?" Namjoon remarked.

Yerim did not answer.

He ordered Jimin to pour him some tea and the man complied. Namjoon added a few sugar cubes and sighed in satisfaction. Jimin took his leave but not before casting a look at Yerim.

Baffled by his expression, she touched her face to see if there was anything weird and sure enough, tear tracks glittered on her rosy cheeks.

"Is this your last word, Father?" The question was lifeless, almost dead. 

"You heard me. Now go get some rest. There is a lot of planning that you need to do for your wedding so that our guests aren't disappointed. Joohyun's busy, so I'm afraid that you'd have to meet with the planners yourself. You know my schedule, too ..."

At this point, Namjoon's words were simply white noise to her ears. 

There was only one thing left, now that she couldn't have her way. 

Cruel as it sounded, it had to be done. 

She stormed out of the haven of books and silence and only looked back to see her father pour himself a last cup of tea. 

*

The house-keeper entered the library and saw her master on the chair, fast asleep. 

"Shall I switch off the lights, Mr. Kim?" 

She received no answer, which surprised her, since Kim Namjoon was a light sleeper. 

She crept near the Victorian chair, a hand drawn out cautiously and tapped on his shoulder. 

_Not even a shudder. How strange._

She sighed and decided to pick up the trays on the table. Her gaze fell on the sleeping man's face and made her stop in her tracks. 

Death had come to Kim Namjoon swiftly and suddenly. 

•


	2. From an alien's point of view

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jung Siblings receive the results of Kim Namjoon's post mortem.

**"FUNNY** how the rest of the family wasn't in the house when the murder happened, right?" remarked a woman of pleasant build and facial features, her hair tied in a short ponytail. 

The man sitting next to her on one of the rickety hospital chairs gave her a pointed look. Had there been a smile on it, his face would have been undeniably charming. 

"It's still early days to say _murder_ , Wheein. It could be just a case of food poisoning just like the doctors speculate," said he, causing his sister to roll her eyes. 

"Sure. You're so pure, Hoseok. You really believe that this isn't almighty suspicious?" 

"I am just being open to other theories, Wheein."

The typical hospital fragrance wafted into their nostrils as they waited in the lobby for the doctors to be finished with the autopsy. 

Soon after she had found Namjoon's cold body, the housekeeper had rushed him to the hospital, fearing the worst. None of the family members were in the mansion of their home called _The Humble House of Kim_ or alternatively, _House of Kim_. Despite several attempts to contact them, none of them could be reached. 

Hoseok couldn't blame Wheein for not getting suspicious - one so often heard about feuds in well-off families from time to time. Yet, it was too melodramatic to jump to the conclusion that the family could have something to do with the death. 

A case of sudden death - especially that of a prominent business figure - required the presence of the police and that was the reason Inspector Jung Hoseok and his younger sibling Chief Constable Jung Wheein were present in the hospital. Apart from them, it was quite curious to note that no one awaited the results of the autopsy apart from them.

Dubious still was the absence of the Kim family. 

Hoseok's eyes kept flitting between the hospital clock and his own, even though both showed the same result. 

Wheein voiced out the thought that he was patient enough to suppress. 

"How long does it take to examine a dead body, for Christ's sake?" 

"You know that well enough that it can take up to a day to determine something like an autopsy result, Whee-Whee."

The nickname, which so irked Wheein, shut her up in an instant, making Hoseok smirk in victory.

Two hours were all that they could wait, and they had other duties to attend to as well. 

"Why, it's quite bizarre to see the Jung siblings together."

The entry of Dr. Hong made him jump; a departure from Hoseok's poised appearance. 

"Jisoo! This is a surprise!" Wheein exclaimed, tackling the smiling doctor into a hug, while Hoseok exchanged a rare grin with their childhood friend. 

"Surprise it is indeed. I thought you were a pediatrician," Hoseok said while patting Jisoo, or Joshua as he preferred to be called by his colleagues, on his back.

Reciprocating in the same manner, Joshua shook his head while giving a handsome laugh. 

"Hobes, your memory sucks."

"Big time," Wheein agreed, pulling away from the hug.

"Well, my memory cannot be counted upon to remember unnecessary things like your job," Hoseok jested, pulling Wheein's ear playfully as a response to her disrespectful agreement. 

"Ouch, that hurt," both Joshua and Wheein mocked. 

"So, you're the one in charge of the autopsy?" Wheein asked.

Noticing her eyes on the autopsy result in his hands, Joshua's handsome features twisted into a grim expression. 

"Yes. Kim Namjoon's, wasn't it? Isn't that the reason why you are here?"

Hoseok confirmed this with a jerk of his head, the momentary smile fading into an opaque, rather wooden one.

"I thought so," Joshua added, as he flipped through the pages of the result in his left hand. 

Tempted as she was to peek into its contents, Wheein contained her jittery nerves - she knew how disgusting it was to be excited to be anticipating something like what she just was. Kim Namjoon may have been a little slippery with his dealings - Wheein remembered looking him up on the internet - but it was still disrespectful of her to hope that his death was murder. 

_Even if she couldn't resist adventures._

"Well?" Hoseok asked, once Joshua reached the last page.

"Although I know the result off by heart, it still makes me wonder how strange it is," Joshua remarked, shutting the file close.

The slightest hint of puzzlement flitted in the amber eyes of the Inspector.

"Really?" Wheein piped up, her eyes displaying an emotion that was a stark contrast to Hoseok's.

Joshua paused for nearly a whole minute before continuing.

"The staff thinks that Kim Namjoon's death was food poisoning."

"Food poisoning ...?" Wheein trailed off. This was unexpected.

"It wasn't food poisoning, Jung. It was _poisoning_. Deliberate _food_ poisoning. Something that Kim Namjoon must have had just before he died. And it's not pesticide like most poisoning cases show. It is potassium cyanide. It must have been administered in his tea or supper, that's what I can conclude, as of now," Joshua ended. 

Withdrawing a heavy intake of air, Hoseok started to speak.

"Are you suggesting that it was a murder, Jisoo?"

"Of course he is, Hoseok," Wheein interjected, earning the second pointed look from her older brother.

"A murder? Yes, that's possible," Joshua responded, his eyes twinkling.

Hoseok laughed, the blend of mirth and nostalgia ringing in his voice.

"Still the neutral bastard, are we?"

"Old habits die hard," Joshua shrugged and took a moment to examine his wristwatch.

"Well, I must be off. I have a rather packed day today and my information must have made yours the same as well. I'll see you two later, then."

"Until next time, Jisoo," Wheein waved adieu. Hoseok copied her.

As she watched Joshua's retreating figure, Wheein turned to her brother.

"What do we tell the media?"

"What the autopsy result says," breathed Hoseok.

"The printed one or the one Jisoo told us?" Wheein put forth. "Or do we do the usual? Talk to the family concerned and then tell the media?"

Hoseok had no answer for that.

•


	3. Funny how bothered they are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jung Siblings visit the House of Kim.

**IT** was quarter past seven and the Jung siblings found themselves outside the gates of the House of Kim, drinking in the picture that presented itself before their eyes.

Covered in fashionable ivy leaves were the imposing gates and behind their bars was the mansion that was called _The_ _Humble House of Kim_ , painted in the solemn colors of ivory blue and black. A huge circle of uniformly trimmed lawn grass surrounded it, a drive-through to the garage being the only patch of land that wasn't green. To complete its austere look, an eight-foot tall, wall-like, concrete fence surrounded the house in a fashion similar to the grass.

Hoseok snorted in disgust. "The _Humble_ House of Kim, they call it. These rich people have this crazy little notion of calling anything they own simple or humble or little, when they are clearly not."

"What's little for them is not little for us, after all," Wheein remarked.

Letting her eyes rove over the palace-like structure for one last time, she played the many scenarios of the murder scene in her mind, every single of them ridiculous to the sane mind.

"The rest of the squad shall be here in a few minutes," Hoseok added, glancing at his wrist-watch, effectively managing to rouse Wheein from her thoughts.

With the dismissal of the last murder-plot, her hand raised to ring the austere mechanic bell.

*****

Jimin's first reaction when he saw the uniform of the the woman who rang the bell was pure, unadulterated fear. The sombre expression of the man next to her did not help. And the burning stare that both the red-headed individuals gave was imposing enough.

He swallowed his saliva and proceeded to interrogate them with the usual questions.

"Who are you and what is your business?"

The man replied to the question after exchanging a brief nod with his fellow redhead.

"I am Inspector Jung and this is Chief Constable Jung. We are here regarding the sudden death of Kim Namjoon, as we had specified in the call made earlier to the House of Kim. Can I have a word with Mrs. Kim, or anyone else present in her stead?"

Mouth dry, Jimin stuttered through the intercom.

"I s-suppose you c-can. Mrs. Kim isn't here, however. Said she had to post a letter of some sorts. Ms. Kim is absent to and Mr. Kim Seokjin is out of town."

"Well?" Wheein queried, various reasons for the absences popping in her head, each more colorful than the previous.

"I suppose you could speak to Son Seungwan, the housekeeper. She was the one who received your call and also the one to admit Mr. Kim to the hospital."

"Let us in then," Hoseok ordered.

*****

A few minutes spent in daunting silence and then, from the distance, Hoseok could see the door of the mansion creak open to reveal the black-clad figure of a man, clearly the manservant or valet as they preferred to be called. With quick yet surprisingly graceful strides, he opened the gates barring the entrance of the Jung siblings into the mansion.

"No car or vehicle of any sort, sir?" he asked Hoseok.

Hoseok shook his head, jerking a finger behind him, to show the board that announced the location of a bus stop a few blocks away from the posh square where all the privileged resided.

"Ah," the valet nodded, taking in the plain clothes that Hoseok and Wheein had adorned themselves in.

  
"There will be more of us coming, however. Just the usual routine inspections," Hoseok informed, earning a nod from the valet.

One seldom called a murder investigation check _routine,_ but Hoseok found it difficult to phrase it any different to the man who clearly quivered under his stare, despite the crisp and professional demeanour he somehow managed to show.

"Come in then, sir and madam. Ms. Son awaits your presence."

  
With brisk steps, the siblings kept up with the valet who was more keen on entering the mansion rather than holding a conversation. Deciding to break the ice and gain some insight from one of the staff that worked for the Kim family, Wheein began to make a few inquiries off the record; before the formal interrogation that would happen when Hoseok spoke to the housekeeper.

"Have you been informed of the death prior to meeting us, or is it the first time you are hearing about this?"

"The first time, ma'am," came the short, swift reply.

"And how does that affect you?"

"He ... he was a good man, Mr. Kim. The entire household will grieve his loss."

Again, the answer was as quick as its predecessor.

Wheein cast a look at Hoseok and saw her older brother casting a look of disapproval at her. She rolled her eyes in response to that action, something that would happen quite often everytime the two of them worked on a case together.

Like all pairs of siblings, the Jung siblings were no exception to the clashing of opinions.  
  
  
  
  
  


While Hoseok believed taking the straight, narrow yet uncompassionate path of justice, Wheein strongly believed that even the crooked and crude paths of reason and human nature couldn't be avoided, her ability to ask a question overpowering that of Hoseok's skill to rack answers out of people without hindering any boundaries of the comfort zone.

In a way, Wheein's charming personality - in conversation - was more intimidating than Hoseok's stoic, cool self.

While they preferred not to work together to avoid any quarrels or differences in opinion, every single subordinate of theirs secretly agreed among themselves that the two, when together, had the deadly combination of cool logic and steely nerves.

There was yet a day to come where the Jung siblings hadn't solved a successful case and the queerness of this particular case seemed to challenge that.

*****

Gazing at the mirror one last time, Son Seungwan smiled faintly and brushed the invisible lint from her beige skirt one last time. Tucked in the skirt was a grey blouse with immaculate white cuffs that concealed a silver watch. After tucking behind a few stray strands that escaped her braid behind her pretty ear, she exited her humble quarters and walked downstairs to the entrance hallway.

As she glided - _glided,_ yes, not walked - down the stairs, her eyes cast a look that had the faintest tint of curiosity in them over the two red-haired, plain-clothed individuals staring up at her, astonishment mirrored on their faces. She hid a smile.

In his mind, Hoseok had visualised a hefty woman in her mid-forties accompanied by a powerful bearing and a stout voice. He was thrown off balance at the prim, immaculate figure that graced his presence.

"Good evening, Inspector Jung and Chief Constable Jung. I have been expecting you," Seungwan began, her voice giving the contrasting impression that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"Would you prefer questioning the staff first, or having a conversation with me before you do that?"

Exchanging glances with each other, Wheein and Hoseok parted ways.

"I shall be having that conversation while Chief Constable Jung here shall be conducting a routinely questionnaire with the staff. After which, there will be seperate interviews with each member of the staff, if that is okay with you," Hoseok informed, earning a dismissive nod from Seungwan.

Seungwan led him to the sitting room and gestured him to take a seat on the mahogany cushioned chair while she seated herself on the plush velvet sofa opposite it.

"Well?" Seungwan asked, her palms resting on her knees.

"As you already know, the reason for my being here is Kim Namjoon's death. The autopsy report declared it as food poisoning, to be precise. And if I am not wrong, _you_ were the one who found his body?"

  
She gave an affirmative as a reply. There was no emotion as such in her eyes, which baffled the Inspector to a certain extent.

"Now, can you describe to me what was the last thing Kim Namjoon consumed? Any meat, perhaps? Cold ham? Fish?"

"Tea." Seungwan's quite reply astounded Hoseok.

"He had tea, in the library. I found him in the library, you must have already known that. And by tea, I don't just mean the beverage itself; I hope you realise that."

"Oh," Hoseok collected himself, ridding himself of the colorful image of a Seungwan dressed like the Dormouse, pouring a cup of tea to Namjoon, the Mad Hatter.

"I see," he continued. "Who else was present for tea? And if you don't mind me telling what was served ...?"

"Of course not. Mr. Kim, Mrs. Kim, Ms. Kim and Mr. Choi, Ms. Kim's fiancé were present for tea. I'm sure you just have read in the papers ...?"

Hoseok nodded, motioning for her to continue.

"Yes, so Mr. Choi had also joined the Kim family for tea, but he hardly stayed for long. Mr. Kim Seokjin was absent for he was overseas on work purposes. He shall be arriving on Thursday this week."

Hoseok jotted down the information, and Seungwan continued to speak.

"Now for tea, there were a variety of savories and sweets served - a chocolate cake, some pound butter and scones, an assortment of cookies and sandwiches, too. Oh, and tea, of course."

"I see," Hoseok repeated his favorite sentence, jotting down the names of the food items.

"We shall be collecting samples, of course. Seeing that it was a case of poisoning -"

"What was the poison used?"

Seungwan's sudden question made Hoseok flick his head up from his notepad.

"Excuse me?"

"There wasn't any meat served so that gives the impression that this wasn't _food poisoning_ , was it Inspector?"

Hoseok didn't answer and she took that as a reason to continue, now with a faint smile playing on her lips. It wasn't a smile of humour, but one of curious interest.

"Your sibling is interviewing - yes, sibling, I recognized the familiar facial features and informal mannerisms - my staff and upsetting most of them as police officers always do and that cannot be for any light reason, can it?"

For a few moments, Hoseok didn't utter a word. His face assumed that of an opaque expression, seemingly making him look a bit foolish but anyone who knew him could tell that he was in a phase of wild happiness - a certain adrenaline that even Wheein couldn't beat.

Leaning a bit forward, his voice a mere inches away from being classified as a whisper, Hoseok put forth a question.

"What are your thoughts on this, hm? For someone hired to be a housekeeper, you don't exactly seem to care about the family's reputation, despite serving them."

Seungwan cracked a smile.

"I am the fourth housekeeper to be hired ever since Mr. Kim married Mrs. Kim, whose maiden name was Bae Joohyun. Nightmare, she is. Ordering about for the littlest of things, getting away with everything - she's got quite the snobby character. She wasn't exactly the well-off figure that she is now, and well, I must admit she pulled the strings well. She has been blessed with natural beauty unlike Poor Yeri -"

"Ms. Kim? What about her?"

"Ah, there I go again, speaking my mind without thinking."

Hoseok smiled, having been accustomed to this sort of response quite often.

"Do you mind if I speak off the record? You won't take this as a statement, will you?"

Hoseok shook his head.

"They are quite the dubious lot, the Kims. Kim Namjoon was frankly one of the most odious men I knew, boasting about every single scheme he had implemented and how many businesses he shut down. And ever since Joohyun came into the picture, I have been told that he has become worse. Seokjin and Yerim were most against it. They are quite cold to her and don't treat her with the respect that Namjoon expected from them, but she doesn't care. She'd got the main man wrapped around her little finger anyway. And she's quite the _sexy piece of goods,_ if you know what I mean, Inspector."

Hoseok mentally shook his head to Seungwan's highly inappropriate comment and wondered how a young woman like her could say things like that.

But then again, he had a shameless sibling who refused to not speak her mind so he was in no position as such to make a comment on Seungwan's word choice.

"What about Mr. Kim Seokjin?"

"Oh, he's like the ardent son that Mr. Kim never had. _Very_ devoted to Kim Enterprise and a nephew of his from his younger sister, who died when Seokjin was still a baby. His father and Namjoon have always been on good terms so Seokjin spent a lot of his childhood in this mansion. He's very precise with what he does and plays it safe. Also he's one of the most miserly men I have encountered - he still lives here rather than buy his own place. Why bother when you have a pocket full of suites?"

"And we come to Ms. Kim," Hoseok remarked, which made Seungwan give an ironic smile.

"I feel sorry for that girl, you know. She's like one of those tragic characters in plays who never get their way, quite the pitiful story. Mother dead when she was barely five, father breathing down her neck for not being lady-like, you get the gist. _Most_ against the second marriage of her father. Mrs. Kim is also a voracious spendthrift, which add fuel to her suspicion of the marriage being one of money and not love. And it's also the age gap ..."

"Go on," Hoseok egged on, his pen long forgotten; for certain things required simple memory, not ink.

"Yerim is barely five years younger than Joohyun who's almost nearing thirty. Joohyun isn't the most pleasant person to her and takes keen pleasure in watching Namjoon belittle her. Also the fact that Yerim isn't a natural beauty like her adds on to her already inflated ego."

"What do you mean, _natural_ beauty?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Little Yerim underwent a few surgeries to achieve her father's beauty standards. It was all in the papers-"

"For the first and last time, I do not read _gossip magazines._ "

"You don't? Pity. Even the ones with the most hideous lies contain a grain of truth, Inspector."

Hoseok did not answer (as he preferred eloquent silence to meaningless chatter) but only sifted her word and their meaning. Whether he hated it or not, they did ring with painful truth.

"And we come to Mr. Chwe, then. Or are there any other family members that I should bbe enlightened about?"

Seungwan's eyes twinkled.

"You do your research well, Inspector. Mr. Kim has another child, I mean, _had._ He goes by the name Kim Taehyung and is currently living in Busan. Of what I have heard, he is quite the rebellious sort you know, the attractive black sheep of the house. Mr. Kim kicked him out of the household owing to his sexual preferences - he likes men - and they haven't kept in touch as of yet. Nevertheless-"

"Nevertheless?"

"It is still odd that Mr. Kim should call Taehyung back to the house."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Mr. Kim and Seokjin had a bit of a row not too long ago - about a month back. And while they were arguing, Mr. Kim exclaimed _'I_ _shall call Taehyung back, my soul be damned if I do. At least he doesn't hesitate to take risks unlike your sorry self.'_ "

"Interesting," murmured Hoseok, jotting the piece of information down.

_A family drama. Wheein's favorite kind._

"And we come back to Mr. Chwe Ms. Kim's fiancé."

"As far as I know, Yerim's engagement with him is purely platonic and more like a friendly agreement between the Chwes and Kims to maintain familial bonds. She does adore him, but unfortunately he doesn't give her the attention she desires. He is a bit weak and incapable of making his own decisions as such, which is perfect for Mr. Kim- oh dear, I mean _was._ I do seem to forget that the man is dead, poor soul," Seungwan added, not sounding very convincing.

"Is there anyone else that I should know?"

"Oh ... I forgot Mr. Min."

"Who's that?" Hoseok raised his eyebrows.

"Mr. Kim's brother-in-law from his earlier marriage. Mr. Min is currently in his sixties and moved in the mansion with his sister and has stayed on even after her death. He does not join the rest of the family for dinner and will not like being called down for anything at all. You will have to go upstairs to his room to interrogate him if you wish to do so."

"I understand," Hoseok nodded, finding a bit strange that someone from the first wife's side should still stay in the house.

"That's it about the Kim family, Inspector Jung. Your sister should get the background information she needs from interviewing the staff. I'm sure I won't be needed as such too much from here on."

"I'm afraid you will be, Ms. Son," Hoseok commented, clicking his pen shut as he looked up with a charming smile.

"I still need background information on you. You _are_ part of the staff, aren't you?"

Seungwan wore a pursed smile as she answered.

Fortunately for her, the bell rang just then.

"That must be Mrs. Kim," Seungwan put forth.

"She's back from posting her letter. Took her long enough."

Hoseok stood up and walked out of the room in slow strides. On his way down, he encountered Wheein who was returning from the kitchen at that moment. They both exchanged knowing glances and looked on as Park Jimin, the manservant who had let them in, went forth to answer the door.

The final rays of sunlight streamed into the house as the silhouetted figure walked in the house with a curious look upon her face.

Hoseok finally got a good look at the woman of the house who went by the name of Kim Joohyun. He then realised the force of Seungwan's words when he took in the sight before his eyes.

_Bae Joohyun was a sexy piece of goods._

**•**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo double update! there's one more chapter after this uwu


	4. Snakes don't walk into your lives, they slither in it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bae Joohyun learns of Kim Namjoon's death.

**JUNG** **HOSEOK** cast one look at Mrs. Kim and felt his breath leave him. The woman he faced, was a woman who men would take one look at say just one word: ' _hot_ '. He now understood the rather vulgar way Seungwan had described her mistress.

Kim Joohyun was a _sexy piece._

With a confused black-eyed stare, she placed a delicate hand on her elaborate bun that held her jet-black tresses. She stepped closer into the light on the hallway and her defined features stood out more significantly, as if they already didn't. Delicately carved, her flawless face was betrayed by the smallest wrinkles near her eyes. 

Even with minimal makeup, Wheein knew that this was the beauty that every woman desired to own, deep down in their heart of hearts. Joohyun's appeal was not obvious but subtle, the kind that would drive men crazy. 

And hell, if she had been a man, Jung Wheein would have courted her without batting an eyelid. She now understood why Namjoon married her, despite the huge age-gap. He wanted to _own_ her beauty, claim it as his own.  
  
  
  


"Who are you?" Her voice had the lightest touch of sensuality - it was dominating in a subdued manner.

Kim Joohyun, Wheein summed up, was a woman who liked men, but would have liked their wealth more.

  
"Mrs. Kim, kindly expect some bad news from us," Hoseok began, giving her the hint that the conversation was not going to have even the faintest mention of anything positive for her.

She paled a little. Despite that, she kept her composure.

"How about we all settle ourselves in the sitting room? There you can hold conversation without seeming too unceremonious," Seungwan put forth.  
  
  
  
  


Getting a nod of approval from Joohyun, the housekeeper led them into the room that Hoseok and her had just vacated. This time, instead of facing Son Seungwan, the housekeeper of the Kim household, they were seated across Kim Joohyun, the mistress of the household.

Wheein noticed how surreptitiously Seungwan had melted into the background and silently applauded her tact.

Gazing at them with the same expression she had when she had entered, Joohyun gestured them to start.

Exchanging a glance with his sister, Hoseok took the lead and spoke in soft tones, having been accustomed to greeting family members who were oblivious to the fact that they had just lost a near and dear one.

"Mrs. Kim, this evening Mr. Kim was admitted into the hospital when he was found unconscious by Ms. Son in the library."

"You must brace yourself, ma'am," upon hearing which, Joohyun trembled a little.

"Y-you don't mean-"

"We're very sorry for your loss, ma'am," Wheein said.

"Is h-he g-gone? Is he is a coma, perhaps? Please tell me it's not-" Joohyun broke off, soft sobs leaving her.

"Please tell me he _isn't dead._ "

Staggering a little, Kim Namjoon's wife - now widow - crumpled on the floor as though she was playing a part in a tragic soap-opera. Wheein rushed to her side and Joohyun buried herself in her shoulder. Hoseok, too, rushed over to her side and patted her back and shot his head up to witness an eye-roll from Wheein.

Even a school play wouldn't have cast the weeping woman in front of them.

Disgusted as he was, Hoseok shot a nasty glare at Wheein for judging a mourning widow.

"Should I go fetch some tea?" Hoseok offered, feeling moral right to comfort the woman even though she didn't know that his sister had admonished her (at least that's what Hoseok called it in his head).

"Brandy. I'll be needing brandy, not tea."

Despite receiving another one of Wheein's eye-rolls, Hoseok gave an affirmative and left the sitting room.

Extricating herself from Wheein, Joohyun whipped out a lace-trimmed kerchief from her coat pocket and dabbed her eyes.

She still held onto the kerchief; and it masked her face like a strange upside down veil.

Wheein felt no wetness on her shoulder.

"Oh, it's so ... so _awful._ Poor Joon, I hope it wasn't too painful. He was such a dear to me and, and now he's gone and I simply don't know what to do and-" Joohyun broke off, her head drooping like a wilted tulip that hid its shameful face in its leaves.

Personally, Wheein found it a bit too melodramatic for her taste, but she wisely kept mum instead of being outspoken as usual.  
  
  
  
  


Hoseok re-entered the room, his hand bearing a regal bottle of brandy that he had procured from Ms. Son, along with a small glass.

Pouring Joohyun a finger of brandy, Hoseok nudged the glass to her and she promptly guzzled it.

Wiping her lips, she bowed her head in apology to her sloppiness and went back to the comfort of her "veil".

"It's just too terrible, honestly. What was it? Something of the heart, perhaps? Poor, darling Namjoon."

"I'm afraid there will be an investigation into the household, madam. The autopsy revealed a case of poisoning so naturally we will need to probe into the matter. I hope you understand."

"A-an investigation? I don't understand-"

"We suspect a case of poisoning," Wheein explained, getting impatient. Maybe it was the whiny, simpering tone of Joohyun or maybe it was just her personality that she found so off-putting.

"So, naturally we will have to take samples of whatever he may have consumed during tea. Our men are doing that, as we speak."

"Oh, I see. You mean _food_ poisoning. It must be the terrible meat we have sometimes for meals. Quite uneatable, if I must say-"

"There wasn't any meat served in tea. Your housekeeper confirmed it," Hoseok interjected.

"Oh," Joohyun deflated.  
  
  
  
  


There was a pause for a while before Joohyun started shaking her head again, quivering like a little lamb.

"I'm so sorry, Inspector. But I cannot take it anymore. I-I am afraid that this is too much for my poor self to take and cannot be of much use to you at the moment. Must I be present? I'm sure Seokjin or Yerim will be all the more willing to help. B-but not me. S-sweet Namjoon, he was so cheerful just a few hours before I left him. And now, now he's gone and I didn't even tell him how much I loved him and-"  
Joohyun elapsed into a wail and held the kerchief so close to her face that her features weren't even visible at that point.

The siblings almost found her convincing in that moment.

"We're sorry for your loss. It's very sudden and you need some time in solitary to accept it. We shall leave you alone for now," Wheein put forth, giving one last pat on the velvety shoulder of Joohyun, who said nothing in reply save for a faltering nod.  
  
  
  
  


The two turned their backs and left the woman alone in solitude. Walking towards the door, Hoseok pulled it and walked ahead while Wheein stayed behind him.

She paused for a moment before exiting the room and turned to see the widow of Kim Namjoon again.

The ends of her kerchief no longer concealing her face completely, Kim Joohyun's face wasn't as hidden as before. And on it were the remnants of a very subdued smile.

**•**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo second chapter of the double update is here uwu! I hope you read the previous chapter ❤️


	5. The Mouse doth hide secrets impossible to unearth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jung Siblings interview the staff and have a surprising encounter.

**IT** dawned on Hoseok that the cook of the house did not particularly like hearing that the death of her employer had been caused by food poisoning. Frankly, she had good reason to detest the news.

"Never in my entire life has someone ever dared to insinuate that I, whose dishes are the most sought-after in every affluent household of Seoul, have dropped a vial of venom in the food that I prepared with my own hands and-" 

"Mrs. Song, I hardly mentioned any meticulously done administering of poison in any way at all. All I said was that perhaps there was a chance of the cakes being left out exposed to moisture-"

"And now you're suggesting that I leave my hardwork out to spoil. It'd be better to quit than to swallow these insults. I shall hand in my resign-"

"Oh, don't be bothered by him, Mrs. Song. He can be quite the stuck-up goose sometimes and rarely understands the sensitivity behind such accusations. I do apologise on his behalf," Wheein interjected, giving a little kick to her elder brother for his bluntness. 

Mrs. Song gave a non-committal sniff, unsatisfied with the apology. 

"However, it would greatly help if you could tell us anything that you noticed that was strange among the family members during tea. Anything that caught your eye, perhaps?"

To their surprise, Mrs. Song chuckled grimly. 

"Really, I thought as smart people you should have picked it up earlier. It's Joohyun, obviously. That slimy little skank thinks that her airs make her a lady but she's not even a half's worth. Quite the looker, I have to admit but nothing beyond that. _Most_ shallow personality and such a pain in the neck."

"What do you mean, shallow personality?" Hoseok put forth.

"Ah, it's no secret among the staff. Probably Ms. Son didn't say anything for grace's sake, but she does flirt around quite a lot. Didn't even leave Jimin alone. Poor boy was quite traumatised," she trailed off with a giggle like she was remembering a scene out of a comic.

"Jimin? You mean the manservant who let us in?" 

Hoseok's question was answered with a nod. His sister exchanged a look with him. 

_This would be interesting._

*****

"I didn't do it!" 

The first words that left Park Jimin, before he had taken a seat, amused Hoseok, who immediately assumed a smile to calm the frightened lamb. Manservant he may be, but he was still a boy, fresh in his early twenties. Clearly, he was a new addition to the staff and this incident including the presence of burly policemen (excluding Wheein) had left him in a fit of nerves. 

"Don't let that worry you, boy. Take a seat and tell us about the tea served today. You served it, didn't you?" 

A fitful nod escaped Jimin, yet he didn't take a seat.

"I didn't do it," he repeated, "I simply don't know a thing about it all and I didn't do anything."

"Yes, yes. But you did lay the table and all, right?" Wheein raised. 

"Yes," Jimin murmured, looking down and settling himself on the stool. 

"Good. Then, could you tell us who came to tea and what was served?" 

He confirmed Seungwan's information. Sandwiches, cookies, scones and butter, chocolate cake and tea with sugar and cream. Yerim was the first to enter the library, followed by her fiancé Choi Hansol. Joohyun joined the two next and Namjoon was the last. Seokjin was out of town so he didn't enter and old Mr. Min never joined the Kims for any meal, let alone tea.

_That's curious_ , Wheein noted. 

Hoseok egged on, determined to get even details of the smallest things possible while trying not to intimidate the boy into silence. Jimin answered them all, some with quick precision and others with measured reluctance. 

He served them tea when they had first entered and left the library, entering only after Namjoon called for a second tray of tea and goodies. That time, only Namjoon and his daughter occupied the seats. He served Namjoon another cup of tea and exited.

"Is that it? Anything else you remember? Perhaps a snatch of conversation between the two that might have caught your attention?" Wheein pressed on.

"I might have imagined up but I think young Ms. Kim and Mr. Kim had a disagreement of sorts because I saw tears on her face. And the air in the room ... it wasn't a very pleasant one, madam. It was cold and something seemed very, very wrong."

Hoseok looked at Wheein for the third time during the interview and he knew that she agreed with him.

Something did feel very, very wrong in the atmosphere of the house.

*****

"One _japchae_ noodles and two meal sets, type one. Yes, that includes the octopus _sushi_ so don't leave that out like last time. Also, is it possible to deliver it by around half-past ten? We might reach home at that time."

Hoseok waited for his subordinate to come from gathering the food samples after they were finished with interviewing the last staff member. Time had already eclipsed to quarter to nine in the evening and since they wouldn't make it in time for Hoseok to prepare any dinner, Wheein thought it better to order from their go-to fast food joint. The owner, now well acquainted with the siblings, was used to such odd calls from them.

_"Ah, Wheein dear, you know that all these young people hate delivering late and my old joints cannot bear the thought of climbing those four floors to your apartment and-"_

"Yes, yes we will come and pick it up, Mrs. Oh. You needn't bother about the delivery, just remember to keep it hot. You know how picky Hoseok can be," Wheein rolled her eyes and cast a look to her brother who was glancing at the watch while they stood in the hallway of the first floor of the mansion. 

_"Caught up in another night-shift, I suppose?"_ Mrs. Oh queried, sounding amused.

"Oh, no. It's just ..." Wheein trailed off. Taking too much time? 

It was a murder, for Buddha's sake. It wasn't the average break-in or bank robbery, so it went without saying that it would take more than just a few hours. 

"We'll be later than usual, that's all. See you soon, Mrs. Oh."

She ended the call and caught up with her brother, who had already gone downstairs. 

"Well?" She questioned, after having matched Hoseok's speed. 

The latter, who had reached the bottom of the stairs was currently in conversation with a subordinate, held up a hand to quieten her.

"I have got whatever I could unearth, even the dregs of tea from his cup. There was some tea left in the pot that they were served in of which I have also collected a sample. A few cubes of sugar and the cream, too. Plenty of cake and cookies were left too, so naturally, I took samples of those too. I shall be taking these straight to get analysed for tampering, just as you said."

"Good work, Jaewook. When can we expect the results, latest?" Hoseok probed.

"A couple of days, give or take. It shouldn't take more than two days."

"Excellent. You can go home once you have delivered them, Jaewook."

After bidding him farewell, Hoseok turned to Wheein.

"As you may have gathered from our conversation, we should be getting the results in a day or two. That should probably solidify your assumption about the murderer being one of the family members."

"It's not an assumption, it's a fact. Hoseok, look at the details. Joohyun feels absolutely no remorse and she's a young woman with scruples. We also don't know how much money Namjoon left her but I bet that it's a sizeable amount, seeing how much he was infatuated with her like Seungwan said."

"We cannot make assumptions about that without even looking at his will," Hoseok reminded in resignation and Wheein reacted predictably with a groan.

"We still need to interview the rest of them, don't we?"

"Yes, Choi Hansol, Kim Yerim and Kim Seokjin. The future son-in-law, the miserable daughter and the successor. I wonder about Kim Taehyung, the prodigal son. Do we have to fly all the way to Busan to interview him?"

"Let's keep that possibility aside for now. Also you make it sound like a Victorian drama by describing them as such. True, I couldn't have described it better, but you didn't have to make it sound so histrionic."

" _Histrionic_? And you complain of me being too theatrical?"

They continued to bicker in friendly fashion and at the same time made their way to the door, opening it to find a man on tenterhooks, dressed in tasteful tweeds and suede shoes, ready to greet them just as they thought that the day had elapsed.

His fretful personage became even more so as he laid eyes on the daunting Jung Hoseok. 

"E-excuse me? Who are you?" The man stammered.

"I'm Inspector Jung Hoseok and this is Chief Constable Jung Wheein. And you are ...?" Hoseok explained, summing up the man in a glance.

He was still in formals, so clearly he had come from a meeting of sorts and his ashen grey hair wasn't in its former neatly parted waves so that meant he had come in a hurry. Undoubtedly, someone from the household had called him - someone important, at that - for him to have hurried to a house that was currently in mourning.

"I'm Chwe Hansol," he blurted, dusting some lint from his shoulder. 

"Hansol, at last! I have been expecting you. Where is Yerim?"

Wheein looked back to see Kim Joohyun, who looked anxious yet also pleased.

"Choi Hansol? Kim Yerim's fiancé?" Hoseok inquired, to which he received an affirmative from both Joohyun and the man before him.

"I heard of Mr. Kim's death and hastened here as quickly as I could manage," Hansol explained. 

"I see," Hoseok repeated his favorite phrase. 

"I called him so that I could have an update on Yerim's whereabouts. She still hasn't returned and it's so very late. So I called him in hopes of knowing her current location," Joohyun blubbered, not looking very convincing. Wheein dismissed a snarky remark that she wished to throw and glanced at Hansol, who looked equally peturbed.

"But I came here hoping for a word with her-" he started but cut off immediately.

Hoseok exchanged another knowing smile with Wheein for the fourth time in the entire day. 

Yes, something was very, very, very wrong in this house.

_And both of them could feel it._

•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bby boy vern's here!  
> tysm for reading ❤️


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